AFRICA: The EU is seeking the UN Security Council’s authorization to intercept illegal arms going into the Libya.

AMERICAS: Mexican FM Claudia Ruiz Massieu defended her nation’s economic importance to the US and condemned anti-migrant rhetoric and a “climate of intolerance” in its neighbor — a thinly-veiled critique of Donald Trump.

ASIA: China told the US it should play a constructive role in safeguarding peace in the disputed South China Sea, as Secretary Kerry called for talks and a peaceful resolution.

MIDDLE EAST: Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet approved part of a plan to reform its oil-driven economy, a roadmap promoted by King Salman’s son.

TECHNOLOGY: The Obama administration is seeking to amend surveillance law to give the FBI explicit authority to access a person’s Internet browser history and other electronic data without a warrant in terrorism and spy cases.

Libya: The EU is seeking the UN Security Council’s authorization to intercept illegal arms going into the country. (NYT)

Malawi: Amnesty International said in a report that albinos in the country are being targeted in an “unprecedented wave of brutal attacks”, and blames police for failing to tackle a scourge fueled by ritual practices. (AFP)

AMERICAS

Region: Mexican FM Claudia Ruiz Massieu defended her nation’s economic importance to the US and condemned anti-migrant rhetoric and a “climate of intolerance” in its neighbor — a thinly-veiled critique of Donald Trump. (Reuters)

Brazil: Interim President Michel Temer decided to have three cabinet members newly accused of corruption remain in office. (Xinhua)

Guatemala: Drug traffickers burning down Guatemalan forest to make clandestine landing strips for planes carrying US-bound cocaine have razed an area twice the size of Manhattan this year. (AFP)

ASIA

Region: Secretary Kerry said the US and China are determined to fully enforce sanctions against North Korea. (Reuters)

Region: China told the US it should play a constructive role in safeguarding peace in the disputed South China Sea, as Secretary Kerry called for talks and a peaceful resolution. (Reuters)

Bangladesh: Three Islamist militants were killed in gunfights with police as authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on extremists blamed for a series of murders of minorities and secular activists. (AFP)

Myanmar: BBC reporter Nay Myo Lin has been jailed for three months with hard labor after being convicted of assaulting a police officer while covering a student protest. (AP)

EUROPE

Region: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said military exercises currently being conducted by NATO in Poland and several other European nations do not contribute to an atmosphere of trust and security on the continent. (Reuters)

Region: Russia’s gas monopolist Gazprom says it will resume selling gas to Ukraine, following an official request from Kiev. (AP)

France: Despite putting unprecedented security measures in place for Euro 2016, the country remains deeply concerned over jihadists’ ability to strike a soft target. (AFP)

Spain: Spanish police arrested a Moroccan man who tried to recruit fighters for the Islamic State group from the Mediterranean city of Valencia. (AP)

Turkey: The country is one or two meetings away from normalizing ties with Israel, as FM Mevlut Çavuşoğlu insisted the importance of Israel lifting obstacles against aid for Gaza. (Reuters)

MIDDLE EAST

Israel: The Israeli army denied a second Palestinian killed in MAR16 was shot dead while already wounded, after claims by the B`Tselem human rights group. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia: The nation’s Cabinet approved part of a plan to reform its oil-driven economy, a roadmap promoted by King Salman’s son. (AP)

Saudi Arabia: The Minister of Hajj and Umra Mohammed Bentin said Saudi authorities are still reviewing a deadly stampede which struck last year’s hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

Syria: Thousands of civilians fled Manbij, a key town in the country’s north, held by the Islamic State group as US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters closed in. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Technology: The Obama administration is seeking to amend surveillance law to give the FBI explicit authority to access a person’s Internet browser history and other electronic data without a warrant in terrorism and spy cases. (WP)